Of Life and Destiny
by Hopeful Wings
Summary: Life just got a whole lot harder for Son Gohan. As if attending a new Highschool wasn't enough, he has to deal with a hidden power that's beginning to surface, whether he likes it or not. Just how long can the demi-saiyan juggle training AND studies?
1. What Life Has To Offer

Hey all! I know there's a lot of Gohan in Highschool fics out there, but I tried to make this one worth your while. Hopefully it's not too cliché. Enjoy!

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A bright beam of light sliced through the air towards its target, who, momentarily bore a look of surprise. Only momentarily. Golden eyebrows arched down above a pair of liquid green eyes and a grim frown forced itself to the gaping mouth. The spiky haired youth brought his arms up not a second too soon. The beam hit him squarely, pushing him back, but not breaking his guard. He ground his teeth together. _Ouch, that burns._ Smoke rose off his well muscled arms and he peered over the top of them. Another fighter hovered in the air a few yards away. He barked a harsh laugh and fixed battle hungry eyes on his opponent.

"Is that the best you can do?" his voice grated roughly through the air. An amused smile parted his lips and he shot forward. This time the youth was prepared. He darted off to the side, quicker than the eye could trace, and drove his elbow into his attacker's back. The man pitched forward, but flickered out before he slammed into the tiled floor. The youth anticipated this also, and his eyes flew to the air above his right shoulder where the other fighter reappeared. He released a ki blast but the other figure flicked it away and threw a punch. The youth caught it and delivered a kick to his opponent's mid section. This was caught and both fighters met eyes. Auras flared and they shot apart, only to resume the intense battle. To an untrained eye, they appeared only blurs flitting about. Several ki blasts hurtled towards the walls and floor of the tiled dome and left smoking debris in their wake. The fighters fazed in on opposite sides of the room, glaring daggers at each other. In unknown agreement they charged forward and locked fists. The air around the combatants rippled with golden power and bursts of lightning skittered over flaring auras. The older man grunted and met the other's gaze.

"Don't think I'll let you beat me." He grinned maliciously. A stone hard face met his own smirk.

"You won't have to." A cold voice replied. Surprise registered on the older of the two's face, though only for a second. A second was all it took. The youth took advantage of the distraction and hurtled his opponent over his head, slamming him into the wall.

_No! I can't let him win!_ screamed the thoughts of the airborne man. Calling upon a reserve of energy he shot a ki beam just before he slammed into the wall. The light tore through the room towards the youth, who dodged frantically. Not good enough. It sliced through his shoulder and hot blood dripped down his arm. He fell hard and bounced across the tile floor clutching his bleeding arm. The other man was picking himself off the floor and wiping dust and debris off his gi. All of a sudden the atmosphere lightened and a door slid open from somewhere along the wall.

"Vegeta! Take your son and get him out of my hair. I don't care where you go, just leave!"

The small, blue haired woman heaved a sigh and glared at her husband.

"Infernal woman!" he spat. She'd disabled the gravity sequence when she opened the door. A new safety feature. Abruptly she turned to look at the youth and compassion covered her face.

The youth was picking himself off the ground, being careful of his injured shoulder.

"Oh my! Gohan! Let me see!" She raced over to the teenager and reached up to take a look at the wound.

"It's really nothing, Bulma. Just a scratch." He smiled sheepishly but couldn't hold it, as he winced in pain.

"Vegeta!" she yelled, rage crossing her face. "What am I going to tell Chichi?"

Vegeta grunted and decided now would be a good time to take his leave.

"Where's the brat?" he inquired. His wife watched him sharply.

"In my lab. Next time, try to be a little gentler." Sour laughter could be heard down the hall, accompanied by a few words.

"Ha! A saiyan prince, gentle? Ha ha ha..." Bulma shook her head and sighed.

"I'm sorry Gohan. That man has an ego bigger than a planet." Gohan smiled at his friend.

"It's okay. You get used to it." Bulma smiled at him and her eyes thanked him for understanding. He moved his hand away from his shoulder and rubbed the back of his

head while giving the classic Son grin. Bulma gasped when she laid eyes on uncovered wound.

"Oh Gohan! I'll get you a senzu bean!" She turned to go grab one but a strong arm to her shoulder held her back.

"Nah, save them for something a bit more serious. If you just have some of that cream…?" Bulma nodded, knowing what he was talking about. It was a cream form of the water in the saiyan recovery machines. It sped up a saiyan's already speedy healing process.

"Sure. Come with me, we'll get you patched up."

Twenty minutes later, Gohan experimentally swung his damaged arm around.

"Much better. Thanks Bulma." A white bandage covered his upper shoulder and he cautiously slipped his shirt over his head.

"That must have been some attack to pierce the skin." Bulma remarked casually.

"Yeah, well, Vegeta was a desperate man." Gohan responded light heartedly. Bulma snorted and looked at the young man. Her eyes sparkled lovingly. This amazing young man was like a second son to her. She'd hate to see anything happen to him. He was so dear to all the Z senshi, even though a few of the particularly stubborn ones refused to admit it. He'd been through hell and back for them, and they were very grateful. Out of the blue a horrified look crossed Gohan's face.

"Oh my gosh! My mom is gonna kill me!" he blurted, his pale countenance glued to a watch face. Bulma chuckled as he raced out the front door of Capsule Corps.

"You be careful, Gohan. And come back soon!" He turned around in the air and waved.

"Sure thing!" he shouted enthusiastically and flew off towards his home. Bulma watched as the magnificent sun covered his retreating form. A presence loomed behind her and she turned to see her husband.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, mister saiyan prince!" He glared down at her.

"And _you_ shouldn't pamper him so." Bulma sucked in an annoyed breath of air and turned back to watch the sunset. The couple stood for several minutes in silence and then Bulma once again turned to gaze at her husband. A look of affection and pride had settled onto his face.

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Well, whaddya think?? See that little button down there? PUSH IT!!!


	2. A Break In The Norm

Welcome back! I forgot the disclaimer, but I'm sure you've all figured out that **I do not own DBZ**. Anyway, I got my first review! Yippie! Thanks to suriko song for the comment. Hope you like this chapter too. This one's longer than the last, but if any one who has happened to wander wants to complain, you can. I kinda figured you'd be please. So, without further to do, begin story. Ripple, ripple, ripple…..

Son Gohan landed lightly in front of the quaint little cottage that served as a home for him, his mother, and his little brother. He stood outside a moment, enjoying the peace that was soon to be shattered. His mother was humming a catchy tune and every once and a while the clatter of pans interrupted it. Wonderful smells wafted out of the ajar door and Gohan couldn't contain himself any longer. He gripped the bag that held his training gear a little tighter and took a deep breath. As soon as he stepped into the house his mother was all over him.

"Gohan! Where have you been?" she demanded, a vicious black frying pan hanging menacingly from her hand. Gohan smiled weakly and fiercely hoped he'd escape the evil frying pan of doom for once.

"Sorry mom. I got a little scratch and had to wait while Bulma patched it up." Chichi's anger was replaced by one of worry and compassion.

"Oh my baby! Are you alright?" she questioned, looking him over for the 'scratch'.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all." Chichi hesitated amount and than beamed at her older son.

"Well, dinner's ready. I'm sure Goten will be happy to see you." He followed her to the table and heard her mutter something that sounded like "…conceited, over inflated windbag." He assumed she meant Vegeta. He repressed a laugh. All of a sudden an orange and blue blur came speeding towards him. It leapt into his arms with a huge smile.

"Nii-chan! Mummy let me go exploring and there was this really cool lizard. It moved around like this!" The little kid jumped off his sibling's lap and imitated the lizard. Gohan laughed and ruffled his brother's hair.

"Alright you two, time to eat." Goten let out a whoop and seated himself, attempting, but failing to keep from drooling. Chichi brought out the food and the family dug in.

Not long after, Gohan sat back in his chair and smiled sleepily. His little brother burped and Chichi scolded him.

"Goten, watch your manners!" Goten looked reprimanded.

"Sorry, mummy." Chichi smiled lightly at him and turned to her older son.

"Gohan, are you ready for school tomorrow?" Gohan looked up at her, hating to be reminded of it. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it, it suited him just fine where he was, but his mother insisted that he needed to meet some kids his own age, and what Chichi wanted, Chichi got. So, he was starting Orange Star Highschool bright and early the next morning.

"I guess so." he responded truthfully. Chichi gave him a look of compassion.

"Don't worry, Gohan. Everything will go great, you'll see." He nodded absentmindedly.

"I think I'll turn in for tonight. Tomorrow's a big day." His mother looked at him approvingly and he made his way to his bedroom. Goten bolted out the door to see if he could relocate the lizard he'd found earlier and Chichi got up to do the dishes.

"Oh Gohan. You shouldn't have to bare everything on your shoulders." She whispered softly.

Gohan undressed and flopped onto his bed, not bothering to pull back the covers. His thoughts drifted back to the spar he and Vegeta had had that day. The older man wouldn't be too happy to find he was going to lose his sparring partner. Maybe it would be possible to make over there after school some nights. Gohan was sure he'd miss his fights with Vegeta. A smiled drifted contentedly across his face as he remembered what his mom had said. Maybe school wouldn't be so bad.

Several minutes later Chichi passed his door and found him fast asleep.

"_You're holding back on me Gohan!" The shining warrior barked fiercely. A bead of sweat dripped off his face as he stared his young opponent across the room. The golden haired youth held the gaze of his challenger. He gritted his teeth and held his anger in check._

"_I don't know what you're talking about, Vegeta!" Harsh laughter filled the heavy air. An electronic voice came over the speakers._

"_One thousand times Earth's normal gravity." The air became visibly heavier. Gohan wiped a hand across his brow where sweat had been dripping into his eyes._

"_Don't lie to me, brat!" The sudden bark set Gohan off balance. He opened his mouth to deny Vegeta, but something stopped him. Something was there, pushing beyond the frantic beating of his heart. It was thumping against his body, trying vainly to escape. Panic welled up in Gohan. What was this? It was like an unknown part of him was trying to rise to the surface; and even as he thought this it raged inside of him, pushing ever harder. His body convulsed slightly. Cold fear swelled in the pit of his stomach. _

_Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he watched his friend trying hurriedly to suppress what he himself had known was there long before. Vegeta had felt it a few months earlier, something stirring inside Gohan. He was surprised the youth hadn't noticed it before. A pang of jealousy clenched his gut. Why was it that he always had to work for such power, but it came unwanted to this boy? _

_He released some of his anger in a ki beam. Gohan sighed with relief as his power finally quieted, but disbelief flashed across his features as he saw a ki beam headed straight for him._

Gohan sat up with a start. He was soaked in sweat, as were his sheets. The young saiyan sat still as his racing heart beat subsided to normal. _Funny, I didn't know people had dreams of things that already happened._ His contemplation was soon broken by a gleeful scream and a weight on his chest.

"Nii-chan! Mummy says to get up. She says you have to go to school." Gohan looked down at the wild haired Goten and smiled playfully.

"Alright, but you'll have to get off of me first." Goten readily complied and meandered down the hall and back to the kitchen when Gohan informed him he would be down in a minute.

Gohan took a record breaking shower and threw on a set of clothes, eager to get down to breakfast. His mother greeted him with a cheery smile and finished setting breakfast on the table.

"Good morning, sweetie. I made a special breakfast for you, since today's your first day of school." Gohan thanked his mother and shoveled down the food. IT was wonderful, but his mother's cooking always was. He stood up and grabbed his bag. His mother's eyes watered threateningly, and as a courtesy, he pecked her on the cheek and raced out the door. No sense in making her cry over anything trifle.

He took to the air and slipped his new school bag over his shoulder. The morning air was pleasant, if not just a bit chilly, and he was glad he had a chance to be outside. He looked at his watch and saw he had plenty of time, so he didn't hurry. He smirked as he thought of flying becoming a leisure activity.

Time flew and soon Orange Star City was approaching on the horizon. Gohan wisely kept high up in the air, and when he spotted the highschool, he landed several blocks away in a deserted alley. Taking a look around to make sure no one saw him, he darted out of the alley and resumed a normal walking pace towards the school.

It was a decent sized building, composed of reddish bricks and white trim. The lawn was well kept and trimmed neatly. A few trees grew around the building. Gohan walked through the double entrance doors and into a cool, tan hallway. Yellow lockers lined the sides and other hallways branched off at different intervals. The office was placed comfortingly close to the front doors, so Gohan had no trouble finding it. A nice woman at the desk gave him a class schedule and explained how to fine his classes.

He studied the sheet and discovered his first class was language arts, in room 2102. He almost passed the room, but noticed it in time. The mauve door bore down on him and he fidgeted a little. It was the moment of truth. When something inside him pressed against his insides he lurched for the handle and swung open the classroom door. IT fell back into uneasy slumber and Gohan let out a grateful sigh. What horrible timing.

The class was staring at the new comer curiously and the teacher looked up from a text book and smiled.

"Well, class, it seems our new student has decided to make his appearance." IT was said jokingly and the man smiled at Gohan. Gohan smiled sheepishly back.

"Please introduce yourself." the teacher prodded. Gohan's gaze skimmed over the room of students as he replied.

"Hi, I'm Son Gohan. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Surprisingly, he meant it. Maybe school wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"You may take a seat next to Erasa." the teacher added, pointing to a blonde near the back of the room. Gohan nodded and climbed the steps to his seat. The girl called Erasa turned to him and flashed a smile.

"Hey there, cutie. I'm Erasa." Gohan blushed, unsure of what to say. A young, blonde man sitting near them noticed this with satisfaction. He chuckled, and was about to say something, but the teacher spoke first.

"Class, please make Mr. Son feel at home. He received a perfect score on the entrance exams, so I'm sure you can all learn a thing or two from him."

Whispers were heard around the class, but tapered off as the teacher, Mr. Jen, began to lecture.

"Oh, he's a nerd!" Gohan and Erasa turned to the blonde from before, who now snickered at Gohan. Erasa frowned, but before she could reprimand the youth another voice broke through.

"Shut your face, Sharpener. Nobody wants to hear your whiny voice." This came from a black haired girl a row in front of them. Sharpener quieted, but retained a scowl.

"That's Videl." Piped in Erasa. "She's the daughter of Hercule." Gohan ground his teeth together, but managed a fake smile. However much he was glad he wasn't swamped with publicity, he still resented Hercule for taking all the credit, not because he wanted it, but because he believed his friends deserved it.

"Oh?" Gohan replied.

"Oh!? Oh is all you can say! She's the daughter of a legend!" Sharpener butted in.

Videl turned and glared at him, but Gohan could see pride flicker quickly across her face. Well, at least she wasn't as conceited as her father.

"I, uh…" Erasa interrupted his uncomfortable stutter with a question.

"So, where to do you live?" Gohan sighed and a smile returned to his face. Saved by the blonde.

"439 mountain area." He replied simply, not thinking anything of it. The three other teenagers balked at him.

"That's five hours away!" burst out Erasa.

"How do you manage to get her in time?" questioned Videl.

"Uh, I leave early." Neither of them seemed to except this, but fell silent when the teacher glared at them.

When the bell rang forty minutes later, Gohan could not be more glad. The situation with his new friends had been awkward, and he'd learned everything that was taught several years ago. Videl, Erasa, and Sharpener drew up next to him, Sharpener because the girls did.

"So, what do you have next?" Videl asked nonchalantly.

"Gym." He answered, a tinge of anxiety entering his mind. Videl's eyes sparked with enthusiasm.

"Me too! We're doing martial arts this year! I hear the teacher used to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament." She sure seemed excited. _Probably because her father's the world champ._ Gohan, on the other hand, paled. _Great. IF I have to go to school, I don't want my friends thinking of me as a freak._ Voices broke through his thoughts.

"...know Videl's a crime fighter?" Gohan turned to Erasa with a look of surprise. Sharpener slung an arm around Videl, who promptly brushed it off.

"Yep, she helps the police with the tough stuff. Someday, she might even be as strong as her dad!" he grinned at Videl. Videl scowled at him, but reddened a little at the attention.

"Nah, I'll never be as good as my dad." Gohan smiled at her.

"Maybe if you really try. You'd be surprised." Their eyes met and Videl smiled back. A squeak came from behind them.

"Oh my gosh! We're gonna be late!"

Well, I got chappie two under my belt. I promise things will get a bit more exciting, just be patient. Oh, while we're speaking of virtues, why don't you show compassion and review? Pretty please?


	3. Complexity

Hey, all! Sorry this is so late. My computer was having problems with (It always refuses to work when I want it to the most.) So here's the next installment. Hope you like!

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.**

When they came to the gym entrance, Videl and Erasa split off to the right and Sharpener took to the left. Gohan just stood there, confused.

"C'mon, nerd boy. The boy's locker room is this way!" Sharpener called. Gohan shrugged and jogged after Sharpener. They entered a brick room with three rows of lockers in the middle, a little space between each set. The rest of the male population that had gym that hour had found their assigned lockers and began to change into the school's gym uniforms.

Sharpener tugged Gohan's class schedule from him and dragged the saiyan over to their lockers.

"It looks like we're right here. Now hurry up and change." He said, throwing the piece of paper back at Gohan who caught. Gohan turned to his locker, entered the combination, and pulled out the clothes in side. There was a pair of navy blue shorts and pants, each with the orange star logo, a white t-shirt and a black sweatshirt. Gohan stuffed the shorts and t-shirt back into the locker.

He looked around for privacy of some kind and finally opted for a bathroom stall. When he was done changing he hurried to his locker and stored his regular clothes back in and locked it. Sharpener stood nearby, a blonde eyebrow raised as he regarded Gohan.

"So, I guess you don't want the rest of us to see your pathetic build, eh Gohan?" Sharpener himself had the shorts and t-shirt on. He was pretty muscular for a human, and it was obvious he liked to flaunt it.

"Uh…something like that." Gohan blurted, giving the Son grin.

"Well, class is starting, let's go." Sharpener turned and walked out into the gym, Gohan following. The girls had the same choice of attire, and pretty much the whole class wore

the shorts and t-shirt. Gohan felt a little out of place, but decided it was better than everybody gawking at him.

All of a sudden his senses picked up a familiar ki. He swallowed hard and focused on the ki. Yup, there was no doubt about it. Krillen was on his way to the gym. Surprise and confusion were the dominant emotions Gohan carried for the moment. He hurriedly suppressed his ki to a normal human level, but if Krillen concentrated hard enough, the Z senshi would be able to tell that it was a saiyan ki, not a human one. Hopefully Krillen wouldn't be expecting a saiyan to be in a highschool gym class.

Sharpener noticed Gohan stiffen as a far away look entered his eyes. _I wonder what nerd boy is doing?_ He thought. Horror flashed across Gohan's face and then he returned to reality. He began to inch to the back of the group of students. Sharpener laughed. The nerd was probably just realizing the painful results a gym class might bring.

Just then a short, bald man walked into the gym, clipboard in hand. He had yellow gym shorts and a white sweatshirt on. He also wore a pair of purple sunglasses. He looked over the rim of the sunglasses and studied the class.

"Good morning. I'm Krillen and I'll be your gym teacher this year. Please say 'hear' when I call out your name. Whispers trickled through the class and Gohan's saiyan ears picked up a few of them.

"Hey, wasn't he in the World Martial Art Tournament?"

"He's awfully short for a martial artist."

"I bet Videl could beat him up."

Krillen proceeded down the list of names until he reached a familiar one at the end.

"Son Gohan?" A faint voice near the back of the room responded. "Hear."

Krillen took off his sunglasses and peered towards the back of the room. Spiky tips of someone's black hair could be just made out.

"Hey, buddy! Whatcha doin' way back there?" Gohan sheepishly pushed through the crowd of students to the front and waved.

"Hey, Krillen." Krillen whacked him on the back.

"So, I bet this was your mother's idea." Gohan nodded and responded sarcastically.

"How'd you guess?" Krillen chuckled.

"I bet Vegeta's not very happy about it." Krillen responded dryly.

"Actually, I haven't told him yet." Gohan winced and Krillen shuddered.

"Well, I'm glad I don't have to tell him. But we can't just stand here and catch up. I've got a class to teach." Gohan nodded and joined the class again.

Videl glared at the back of his head. _How does he know a World Martial Artist? _She thought. Krillen interrupted her thoughts.

"Alright, class, this year you'll all be learning the basics of martial arts, thanks to Hercule's funding." A few cheers and 'Go Hercule's were heard.

Krillen cleared his throat and the class quieted down.

"First we're gonna do a few stretches to warm up." He showed everybody the basic stretches and sent them to work. Gohan jogged after his friend, who had retreated to a corner of the gym and watched the class stretch.

"Hey Krillen, can I ask a favor?" Krillen turned to his best friend's son.

"Shoot." Gohan looked around the gym warily and stepped closer to Krillen.

"Can you not tell anybody about…you know what? I don't really want my complicated past revealed to them." Krillen looked at Gohan thoughtfully and nodded.

"Sure. But how's the world's strongest fighter gonna keep that kinda thing a secret in a martial arts class? Not to mention you're an alien hybrid from outer space and you could destroy planets with little effort." Gohan held out his hands.

"Okay, okay, I get what you're saying. I don't know, I guess I'll just take it easy. Maybe I can get a pass out of gym." Krillen raised an eyebrow.

"You think your mom would let you do that?" Gohan sighed.

"You have a point."

"Gohan, you're a trained fighter, not to mention your saiyan instincts. You're gonna have to push yourself really hard to keep from slipping up. I'll help all I can, I promise."

"Thanks, and you're right, it'll be hard. But If I have to go to highschool, I want to seem as normal as possible. People would think I'm a freak if they knew the truth." Krillen smiled.

"Well, regardless of what people may think, what matters is that you aren't a freak, you're a hero." Krillen patted his friend on the back and Gohan smiled warmly.

"Thanks, it means a lot." Krillen withdrew and gave his friend a thumbs up.

"No prob. Though I wouldn't mind seeing you take a few of those kids's egos down a notch or two…" The bald man trailed off and Gohan laughed.

"Now you sound like Vegeta." He replied, joining the rest of the class in exercises and leaving a stunned Krillen in his wake.

Videl watched Gohan walk away from Krillen and frowned. What were those two talking about? Gohan was hiding something, she knew it. It was only a matter of time until she found out.

After everyone was good and limber, Krillen walked to the front of the class again.

"Alright, everybody had to circle their level of martial arts knowledge upon entering this class, so I'm going to pair you up accordingly. I'll put those of you who are more proficient with someone less so and I'll expect you to help them out. Later when we spar, I'll match you with someone about your skill level. Once you get your partner, pick one of those red mats and wait for everybody else. Alright, Erasa and Videl, Gohan and Sharpener, Pencil and Marker, Pen and Takashi, Asuka and…." Krillen went on with the list of names until every body was paired up and standing on a red mat.

"Okay, I'm gonna demonstrate a few basic forms, so watch closely. When I'm done, I'll have you guys try them and I'll walk around and make sure everybody has them. Please help each other also." He took about ten minutes to show everybody a few basic forms and then set them to work.

Sharpener was feeling rather arrogant at the moment (A/N: When is he not?) as he had been paired up with nerd boy. Obviously, he was supposed to help Gohan like the teacher said.

"Alright, nerd boy, watch me closely." With that, he semi-clumsily pulled into his forms. Gohan watched with a trained eye, noting Sharpener's defense holes and improper stances. The blonde wasn't bad, he was about average. Gohan put on a nervous face and clumsy fell into the forms himself, making sure to make obvious mistakes and seem unsure of himself. Sharpener snickered under his breath and pointed out rather snootily Gohan's flaws. _This is harder than I thought!_ Gohan thought, trying to appear anything but the trained martial artist he was.

Krillen was walking around the gym, helping kids with their forms and giving compliments. He looked up, amused, when he came to Sharpener and Gohan. Gohan was doing an admirable job of seeming clumsy and weak. Sharpener obviously thought _he_ was the better of the two, but in reality, Gohan was there to help Sharpener, though Krillen was pretty sure no one in that group was going to learn anything. Sharpener wasn't bad himself, but nothing special. After complimenting Sharpener for 'helping' Gohan, he gave the young saiyan a few 'tips' and continued to the next group.

Twenty minutes later, when he'd made his rounds, he called everyone to a halt.

"Nice job, everybody. Most of you know a least a little about martial arts. Since we only have ten minutes left, I've asked Videl to give a little demonstration. Videl…"

Videl stepped onto the front mat and Krillen backed off to the side.

"Um, Mr. Krillen, is it okay if I pick someone to help me?" Krillen nodded and motioned for her to do so.

"Alright, any volunteers? Everybody looked a little scared and Sharpener decided to play a mean joke on Gohan.

"Gohan wants to help!" He called. Gohan looked at him alarmed, but Videl, seeing her chance, called out the Saiyan.

"Thanks, Gohan!" Gohan made his way to the mat and stood in front of Videl.

"Okay, I'm gonna show you how you would disarm someone with a gun. Gohan, could you please pretend to hold a gun aimed at me?"

Gohan shrugged and pointed his finger at her in the classic gun position. A few people in the class chuckled but he ignored them.

"Alright, I'll try not to hurt you." Videl whispered. She fell into a nice stance and delivered a kick to Gohan's hand/gun.

As soon as he saw her prepare to fight, Gohan's instincts kicked in. Her left hurtled towards him and before he realized what he was doing he ducked and positioned himself to swipe her off balance. He caught himself in time and pretended to loose his balance. He fell unceremoniously onto his butt and sat there blinking. Everybody laughed at him, believing it a fluke. Videl and Krillen, however, didn't laugh, realizing what Gohan had just done. He hadn't fallen down like everyone thought, he'd dodged her kick. Videl tried to pass it off as lucky, but a doubt lingered in his mind.

Krillen stood in the middle of the room as the students filed out to the locker rooms, a frown on his face. That had been close. He was sure anybody with enough martial arts training would realize at least part of what had happened. Luckily, Videl was the only one who did notice, and even she didn't catch everything. Gohan got lucky this time, but what about the next time? What would happen when his luck ran out?

Hope you like it! This scene turned out to be a little different then I planned, but I like it. Sorry for any OCC. Hope to see you all next chapter! Oh, and thanks to all my reviewers! It means a lot to me.


	4. Because I Can

**So, here's the next chapter. I've been having some problems with paragraphs, so I'm going to start new scenes with a sentence in bold until I can fix it. Thank you to all who reviewed! **

Videl's helicopter sped through the air, green hills and rugged rocks passing quickly beneath. She leaned into the throttle and the craft shot forward, going even faster than before. A quick look at her watch revealed that is was about 4:30. She sighed.

Inside her head, so many thoughts tumbled around. Usually, going for a spin in her copter helped to clear her thoughts or calm her down, but today, it wasn't helping. And, the object of her thoughts? The new school nerd, Gohan. She kept replaying all her

conversations with him, all his expressions, everything. But no matter how nerdy he seemed, something just felt…off.

He acted so clumsy and awkward, just like any other nerd. So why was it that something about him bothered her? Her mind turned to gym class. His embarrassing fall before she could knock the 'gun' out of his hand showed his clumsiness, right? But then her mind snagged on a detail she hadn't noticed before. His eyes.

Deep in those obsidian depths, buried beneath fear and embarrassment, something flashed. It had been quick, almost too quick to catch. What was it that she'd seen there? Confusion? No. Anger? No. Sheepishness? Regret? Chastisement? No, no, no. It had been none of those. So what was it then?

_Power._

She abruptly shook her head, dismissing the sudden thought. Power? Definitely no. But…a doubt lingered in her mind. Was it possible?

A sudden, violent jerk jarred her thoughts out of the clouds. A warning light flashed on the dash board of her copter. Her eyes flicked to the controls, and icy fear dropped into the pit of her stomach.

Empty. Empty. Empty.

The single, horrifying word flashed continually across the controls. Dang. She was out of gas. Not good. The craft began to shake and she tightened her grip on the throttle. No good.

A rather large jerk flung her head forward and slammed it against the steering wheel. Stars flashed across her rapidly narrowing vision. _No! _Her mind screamed. _Not now!_ But despite her efforts to stop it, her thoughts succumbed to darkness.

**Gohan dropped his fisted hands to his sides as his head whipped around.** He felt a familiar ki. His golden eyebrows knit together as he recognized it. Videl. A sigh escaped his lips. She had a knack for popping up at the worst of times. He'd been trying to get in a little training a few miles from his house. He had hoped, because of the remoteness of his position, that no one would come upon him. Well, his hopes had just been dashed.

Wait. Videl's yellow copter came careening over the horizon, bobbing wildly out of control. Realizing something was wrong; Gohan leapt into the air and shot for the craft.

When he reached it, he discovered Videl slumped over the steering wheel. An empty light flashed on the controls. Gohan clenched his teeth and prepared to steer the craft to a safe landing. But something caught his eye. The copter must have scraped against a rock, because a deep gash was carved in its side. A rapidly expanding tongue of flame licked at its edges. With rising horror, Gohan realized the fire was right over the gas tank.

He tore the door off the hinges and swung the unconscious Videl over his shoulder. With a burst of energy, he jetted out of the vicinity. A large explosion followed in his wake. He landed a little ways away and examined Videl. She was unhurt, save for a small bump on her forehead.

Gohan frowned, wondering what in the world to do with her. He couldn't take her to his house. That would arouse unneeded question. She wasn't hurt enough to need a hospital. He laid her gently on the grass and sat down Indian-style with his back against a rock. It would be best to just wait until she woke up. Then he could figure out what to do.

**Videl's eye-lids slowly opened**. Her head ached something fierce and white lights danced brightly before her eyes. Slowly, her vision cleared. Sitting up, she realized that she lay in the grass. Wonderment crossed her mind. How was it she was still alive? How had she gotten here? Where was her copter?

She turned her body to survey her surroundings and her eyes landing on a figure. A man sat with his back against a nearby rock, apparently sleeping. His hair was golden like the sun, shining softly in the afternoon light. He was handsome, with hard features and broad shoulders. He wore a fighting gi, the undershirt was black and the pants and over shirt were navy blue. The black shirt was long-sleeved and slightly loose, but she could see well-toned muscles underneath. This man was well-built.

Then her eyes snagged on something. A brown, furry appendage flicked around his body. He stirred slightly and it relaxed to a position coiled around his waist. He had… a tail?

Suddenly, his eyes shot open. They were a brilliant turquoise-green, flashing wildly. His eyes locked hers and he stood up to his full height, around six seven, and stretched. Then his head cocked towards her.

"So, you're up?" Videl sat speechless as he sat down in front of her. She realized that he wasn't much older than her. Something about made him seem more mature. His eyes caught hers again. Power and confidence radiated from them. Something in the back of her mind tickled, telling her his eyes were somehow familiar.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously.

A spark of mischief flashed in his eyes and he smiled, baring slightly pointed canines that

were almost fang-like.

"A friend of the Saiyan no Ouji."

"What's that supposed to mean? And how did I get here?" Videl shot back, her temper rising. She tried to hide her fear as well. Who was this man?

The young man laughed, a pleasant sound, and his eyes sparkled with delight.

"One question at a time. You won't get an answer to your first question, so you might as well forget about it. But, I can do the second one. I pulled you out of your copter before it exploded. It must have scraped against something and the gas tank started on fire. You got pretty lucky."

The strange man watched her quietly, waiting for a response. Videl, on her part, studied him. She hated to admit it, but she was scared of him. He seemed nice enough, but how could she know? She mentally slapped herself. Since when had she ever feared someone? What reason did she have to fear him? An answer rose in her mind, unbidden.

_Power._

She squelched the thought. Power? What could he know about power? Besides, she was the daughter of Hercule, and a renowned martial artist herself. She could take on anyone, anywhere, excepting her dad. So, why was she scared?

"Um, thank you." She replied, reluctantly.

"You're welcome. Do you have a way to get home?" Videl eyed him suspiciously before responding.

"Yes, I have some capsules." He seemed a bit relieved.

"Good. It's getting late. You'd better go before someone worries about you." For some reason, that comment aroused anger in Videl.

"I'm not a little girl, I know that!" She shot back. He shrugged it off.

"No, you're not. Forgive me if I offended you." Videl _hmphed _and stood, her back facing him.

"Well, you did! You should know better! I'll have you know I'm the daughter of Hercule!" Chancing a glance around, Videl started. He was gone. Just like that. A slight chill swept up her spine and she decided to follow his advice. It _was_ getting late.

**Gohan glided silently over Capsule Corp, his form silhouetted by the setting sun.** A frown settled onto his mouth as his turquoise eyes surveyed the ground below. Apparently, most of the employees were just getting off work. That made it hard pressed for him to get into without arousing undue suspicion. His little delay with Videl had cost him.

He sighed and opted for the side entrance. Landing behind some nearby buildings, he jogged around the corner and up to the door. He entered the numerical code on the number pad and an electronic voice spoke to him.

"Password please."

Gohan cleared his throat and was about to speak when a voice interrupted him.

"Hey you! That door's top level clearance only!"

Gohan turned and saw a security guard in blue uniform jogging towards him. The man looked to be in his fifties. Gohan sighed. Since the man didn't recognize Gohan, he was probably the new guard Bulma had mentioned she'd hired. All the other security staff knew his face.

"I'm a friend of the family." Gohan replied and was about to turn back to the door when the man spoke again, his face red.

"Son, don't try and lie to me. The only people who got clearance enough to get through that door are the Briefs themselves."

Gohan frowned. No doubt he'd get a good tongue lashing from Vegeta for taking so long.

"Here, just let me say the password and clear this up."

The guard peered suspiciously at Gohan and then slid his nightstick out of his belt.

"Look, you need to back away from that door right now. I don't want to have to use this."

Gohan groaned inwardly. Why now, of all times? Suddenly, the door slid open to reveal a scowling, shirtless Vegeta who looked like he'd just come from the GR.

"Brat! You're late! GR, now!" Vegeta snapped.

The security guard looked flabbergasted.

"Mr. Briefs! I didn't know you knew this boy!" He stammered.

Vegeta's head turned to the guard and his eyes bored holes into the man. Gohan figured he'd better say something before things got ugly.

"C'mon, Vegeta. We don't have time for this. Let's spar." Gohan tried hopefully. Vegeta looked at him and nodded his head. Gohan's shoulders sagged with relief.

"Well said, brat." The Saiyan no Ouji turned his back and stormed off to the GR, followed closely by a greatly relieved and expectant Gohan.

**Videl sighed as she pushed open one of the four sets of glass double doors leading to the merchandise section of Capsule Corp.** Even though it wasn't the main building, rather one of the attached white domes, it was still humongous. The aisles were full of neatly labeled capsules behind glass doors.

She made her way over to one of the employees who wasn't busy.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" He said pleasantly. Videl responded in a slightly less enthusiastic manner. After all, she _was_ losing sleep so she could run this errand before school for her dad.

"Yeah, I need a G01568, three E05673's, and an H04512." The man nodded and led her through the aisles, unlocking the glass doors and retrieving the capsules she'd ask for as they went.

When all of Videl's items had been accumulated, he led her to a cashier and began ringing up them up. Videl tapped her foot idly as he scanned the five capsules and punched their codes into the computer. He looked up at her and his mouth opened to say something when a huge tremor shook the building and a bright flash of light shone through the windows.

Videl instinctively grabbed the counter and managed to keep her balance. The light and tremor stooped as abruptly as they had began, leaving the customers glancing around with confusion in their eyes.

Several people were staring out the windows, excited whispers passing between them. Videl jogged over to see what they were staring at and gasped.

There was a huge pile of smoking rubble and debris near the residential wing of Capsule Corp, where the Briefs lived. The ground around the mess was charred black and gave off a smoke of its own. It looked as if someone had just dropped a bomb on whatever the building had been.

Videl was startled into reality by the calm voice of an employee standing behind her.

"Don't worry, Ladies and Gentlemen. This is a standard occurrence her at Capsule Corporation. I assure you that none of you are in any danger of any kind. However, I would ask that you please keep away from the large pile of debris. Thank you."

_Standard occurrence?_ Videl had heard rumors of strange lights, tremors, and sounds, among other things that supposedly happened around Capsule Corp, but she'd always dismissed them as eccentric gossip's tales.

Out of habit, Videl glanced at her watch. And did a double take. School started in five minutes! She raced to the cashier's counter, paid for her capsules, and ran out of the store. If she was lucky, she'd only be a few minutes late.

Just as she exited the store, two figures emerged from the rubble.

**Gohan shoved a massive concrete slab out of his way and stood up.** A few yards away, Vegeta was doing the same.

Man, that was some blast. Although, two Ascended Super Saiyans (A/N: Yes, Vegeta has ascended. Don't worry, Gohan's still stronger!) with a _really_ large amount of energy to blow off could do that. Luckily, they'd both dropped out of level two. No doubt countless people had seen the explosion and were now rubber-necking.

Sure enough, a casual glance at the windows behind him revealed a group of shoppers, faces pressed against the glass panes to get a better view. Gohan glanced at the Saiyan no Ouji and saw an amused smirk on the man's face.

"Ha! It's not often those pathetic weaklings get to see a _real_ display of power!" He chortled.

Gohan dropped his head and exhaled. Did Vegeta's ego know no bounds? Apparently not. But alas, the demi-saiyan was not left to his thoughts for long.

"Brat! Are you just going to stand there all day?" Vegeta barked.

Gohan's eyes narrowed into slits and a smirk eerily similar to his sparring partner's crossed his face.

"Course not! Let's go!" He replied eagerly, as he prepared to take off.

Suddenly, a shrill beep erupted into the energy-laden air. Gohan glanced at his watch, and one word echoed through his mind.

Crap.

Yup, school just started. Gohan tore the watch off and stomped on it (Like it was actually the watch's fault). After venting his rage, his head snapped up to meet Vegeta's gaze.

"Uh, Vegeta, as mush as I'd like to spar with you, If I don't get to school right now, my mom's gonna kill me." Gohan said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. Vegeta snorted.

"Weakling spawn of Kakkarot, letting a human woman boss you around!" Vegeta replied.

But before he could make further comment, a feminine voice rang through the air.

"VEGETA! How many times are you gonna break that GR!" Bulma came into view, storming around the corner.

"Until you make it strong enough to withstand my power, woman!" Vegeta spat. Bulma's fists clenched.

"Why you! That's it; I'm not fixing it tonight!" She replied and ran off in a huff.

Vegeta stood there, mouth hanging open, flabbergasted. Gohan looked down at his shoes, hiding a smile.

"You wouldn't dare! WOMAN!" He roared and shot off after his wife.

Gohan choked down a laugh. Until he realized what time it was.

**Well, there's the next chapter. Hope you liked it. I've got some fun things planned for the next chapter, so I hope you stick around. Poor Gohan. Poor Orange Star Highschool. They've never had an author like this. BWAHAHA! **

**Oh, and Please Review! **

Chris: Thank you very much! Don't worry, Majin Buu will NOT enter this story. I hate him too. kicks the pink blob As for Gohan, in the next chapters, you'll get to see more of his personality. I'm not planning on making him passive and easygoing. And Orange Star Highschool is gonna find out what he can do soon enough.

Srusse87:  Really? I'm in love with him too! fangirl sigh He'll seem even more un-geeky as you see his character away from school. It's like two different Gohans!

Trunkszgirl: It seems kinda strange when good friends don't keep in touch, ne? Thanks for your vote of confidence.

Kim: Thank you very much. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

Booklover9: I'm glad you like it. I'm also glad it's not too cliché.

Silence's Siren: Your comments make me blush. blushes I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I'll try to keep it worthy of your praise.

Miroku-has-darkness: I'll try! XD

Kinoha: I'm glad I'm living up to your expectations. And I'm glad that having a Z senshi for a Gym teacher wasn't too cliché. I agree, some things are just tradition.

Eternal Light/Fire Dragon: Ooh, Japanese! Such a wonderful language. I'm trying to learn it right now. It's pretty complicated, but I really love languages.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed that I didn't mention. Your reviews are GREATLY appreciated.


	5. Deja Vu

**Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since the last update. My muse ran dry. Luckily, I have a few ideas up my sleeves, so I should update again pretty soon here. Sorry this is so short and there's no shout out. I just wanted to get something up so you didn't think I'd forgotten! **

Videl jammed the capsulated car into her purse as she ran. The huge Orange Star building loomed in front of her. Another furtive glance at her watch revealed that first hour was already half over.

She groaned and quickened her pace, determined to make for at least part of the class. A motion at the corner of her vision caught her eye. Videl's head snapped to the right in time to see one spiky-haired individual race around the corner of the building.

_Wait a sec, that looked like Gohan! I thought smart kids were always on time?_ She shrugged off the thought with the excuse that she didn't have time for it. Well, she didn't.

Meanwhile, the 'spiky-haired individual' himself was just as late as Videl. Only, he had more than being late to deal with.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ He berated himself as he headed for the gym entrance of Orange Star.

Each step only served to remind him of his mistake. The soft material of his gi swished softly as his long legs ate up the distance. In his hurry to make it to school, he'd forgotten to change his clothes or grab his books.

He had an Orange Star highschool sweatshirt in his gym locker, but that wouldn't make up for his school books.

Krillen looked up from reading his magazine on the bleachers when the demi-saiyan slipped quietly through the gym door. He closed his magazine and stood up.

"Hey, Gohan! What's up, man? You're late for school!" After a glance at Gohan's gi, he added, "And why are you wearing your gi?"

Gohan smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well… I was training with a certain prince and we went… overboard."

"How overboard?" Krillen asked, suddenly wary.

Gohan laughed nervously.

"Oh, nothing _too_ bad." He paused and then hurriedly finished.

"WeleveledtheGRinfrontofabunchofshoppersandnowI'mreallylateforschoolandIforgottochangeinotmynormalclothes."

(Translation: We leveled the GR in front of a bunch of shoppers and now I'm really late for school and I forgot to change into my normal clothes.)

Krillen burst out laughing. A minute or two later he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Man, Gohan, life would be a drag without you and Vegeta to liven it up. Of course, the rest of us would probably be a whole lot safer."

Gohan exhaled loudly and sat on the bleachers.

"Well, I suppose it's too late to make going to first hour worthwhile. Mind if I wait it out here?"

Krillen shook his head and whacked Gohan on the back.

"Be my guest, bro. But it's awfully boring right now."

A certain gleam entered two pairs of eyes and both men very obviously avoided looked at each other. Gohan was the first to break the silence.

"You know, I haven't sparred with you in a long while." He began, nonchalantly. "What do you say, no energy and no flying?"

Krillen turned his head to look at the demi-saiyan. A grin split his face from ear to ear.

"Though you'd never ask!" Krillen burst, and then added as an afterthought. "Better go super just in case we someone walks in on us."

Videl and Erasa exited the girl's locker room side by side, making friendly conversation. Erasa was chattering about some new kind of makeup when something at the corner of her vision caught Videl's eye. She turned her head away from her oblivious friend and her jawed dropped. Erasa, noticing that she had lost Videl, also turned to see what her friend was staring at. Well, what the entire second hour gym class was staring at, save for an absent Gohan. And, like the rest, her jaw hit the floor.

A furious spar between two men waged in the center of the gymnasium. One of the men was their gym teacher, Krillen, a World Martial Arts Tournament finalist. The other… well, Videl recognized him, but no one else did. He was none other than the man who had saved her life the day before. The class was too enraptured by what they saw to halt the two fighters.

The golden-haired man clearly had the upper hand. In fact, the smirk on his face hinted that he was only toying with Krillen. Krillen threw a punch at him, but the man slid sideways and grabbed Krillen's arm. The man drove his knee into Krillen's abdomen and released the short, bald teacher. Krillen didn't fall, but he staggered a bit, clutching his stomach, before turning around to face his opponent. Oddly enough, he was smiling, albeit warily, too.

"I knew from the start I was jumping in way over my head." He half laughed, half coughed.

The young man gave a lop-sided grin and shrugged his shoulders, his arm bent and his palm facing upwards.

"What gave you that idea?" He replied.

Krillen resumed his stance.

"I beginning to think that your training with Vegeta was a bad idea. You're getting cocky." He joked.

The golden-haired youth just stood their, waiting, as he replied.

"Only with you."

And then he was gone. A collective gasp came from the crowd of students. He'd just vanished! In thin air! But before they had any more time to react the man reappeared behind Krillen and threw a well-muscled arm around the older man's neck.

Krillen struggled against the demi-saiyan, but to no avail. He could breath, but he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His opponent had complete control. Like he hadn't had complete control the whole fight. Krillen grunted.

"Do you yield?" The younger man laughed.

Krillen sighed and let his body go limp to show his point.

"I yield."

The demi-saiyan dropped him to the ground where Krillen promptly stood up and dusted himself off. Only then did the two Z-senshi notice their audience.

Videl watched as the two noticed them. Krillen just rolled his eyes as if saying 'Oh Great'. The golden-haired man, however, looked surprised. Then a playful smile crossed his face and his feet lifted three feet off the ground.

If the highschooler's jaws could've dropped any lower, they would have.

The young man bent forward a little and saluted them.

"Well, gotta go. See ya!" He sang as he waved and disappeared. Into thin air. Again.

Only this time he didn't come back.


End file.
